Recent claims by PN deputy leader David Agius have sent the Maltese media landscape into a frenzy after claims that the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a “propaganda machine” for the Labour Party. The Nationalist Party deputy leader, together with candidate Alessia Psaila Zammit shed light on the fact that while Labour ministers were mentioned 88 times on TVM bulletins between August 1 and September 15, PN officials weren’t a single time.
Agius highlighted how PN proposals and activities were always covered by a journalist’s voice-over and are often mentioned towards the end of the news bulletin, on occasion after international news and adverts. A pie chart published during the conference showed that PL occupied 51% of news coverage, with the other 41% being other news and only 8% of news being related to the Nationalist Party during four days of news coverage on TVM bulletins in September.
A journalist from ONE News argued that the PN is not differentiating between government events and political activities, with Agius replying that one cannot differentiate between ministers and PL officials, while the Constitution of Malta calls for a balance between the government and the opposition.
PN candidate Clifford Zahra Fenech also posted a video arguing that during a recent 8PM TVM news bulletin, soundbites from Labour officials or ministers included three cabinet members and Malta Enterprise CEO Kurt Farrugia, while PN-related news came after international news and included a voiceover from a TVM journalist.
What do YOU think? Is the PBS biased?
#MaltaDaily